A case for BI On Cloud - Data Warehouse Migration to Cloud
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A case for BI On Cloud - Data Warehouse Migration to Cloud :
The case for Analytics and Business Intelligence (BI) on Cloud is very compelling for following key reasons;
BI on Cloud is faster and easier to implement.
BI on Cloud has lot more to offer on hardware and software
BI on Cloud is much more affordable compared to traditional BI.
It is no surprise that many data focused organizations, small and large enterprises have started to migrate their BI system from On-Premise Data Center to a Cloud or Hybrid BI solution. Although it is not expected that customers will rapidly replace their on premise BI solutions in favor of Cloud immediately, but it is observed that there are lots of, legitimate Analytics use cases where the Cloud BI model would be beneficial and worth consideration.
Business use cases for BI and Analytics on Cloud
There are several operational and financial factors that work in favor of Cloud Business Intelligence (BI),
The key being:
Speed of Implementation and Deployment: Immediate availability of environment without any
dependence on the long periods associated with infrastructure procurement, application deployment,
etc. drastically reduces the BI implementation time window.
Elasticity: Leverage the massive computing power available on the Web, scale up and scale down
based on changing requirements.
Focus on Core Strength: Outsource running of BI apps and focus on their core capabilities.
Lower Total Cost of Ownership: Convert some part of capital expenditure (capex) to operational
expenditure (opex), cost-effective pricing models, pay per use model, etc.
On-demand Availability: Support mobile and remote users, Browser-based access to control everything from the Cloud platform to database management, from the data warehouse layer to the analytics platform.
Business concerns for BI and Analytics on Cloud
There are also many inhibitors that has been cause for the adaption of Cloud on BI so far. A few
common and leading concerns are mentioned here, along with recommendations on addressing the
concerns:
Data Security: Security concerns including confidentiality, integrity and availability of the data
continues as the top concern for utilizing the Cloud. For some organizations, the concerns over
security may be a barrier that is impossible to overcome today. However, as more organizations move
to the Cloud it is expected that the concerns will lessen. In many cases, the Cloud vendors provide a
more secure environment than what exists at customer sites. It is important to note in In 2013 CIA moved some of their data center to AWS Cloud. http://fortune.com/2015/06/29/intelligence-community-loves-its-new-amazon-Cloud/
On premise Integration: Sudden movement to Cloud is not feasible and a phased approach is usually
recommended. There will be a co-existence model until the Cloud BI market is more mature.
Lack of control: Tough to get Service Level Agreements (SLAs) from Cloud providers. Data control and
data ownership, reliability of service challenges are some of the main reasons for client concern. To
mitigate this, organizations should already have in place thorough IT governance and service delivery
standards and models.
Vendor Maturity: Too many Cloud BI vendors, hosting providers with varying offerings, etc. makes it
confusing to choose the right vendor based on required needs and vendor capabilities.
Performance: Limits to the size and performance of data warehouses in the Cloud, significant latency if
BI applications exist in the Cloud but the data exists at a client site, especially when processing and
returning large amounts of data.
Pricing models: Lack of standardized pricing models makes it difficult for customers to select the right.